More Than The Score: UConn Weightlifting

[Drew]

An awesome look at behind the scenes of a UConn workout and an interview with Matt Balis. LETS GET EM BOYS

https://www.facebook.com/pages/NBC-Connecticuts-Kevin-Nathan/142512305824767?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

 

[junglehusky]

Ya beat me to it. Good stuff.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

Love to see this. Balis seems to be old school. Pumping iron myself at 55

 

[Srqhusky]

Looks like conditioning is not an issue. Other than the workouts and the big weights lifted one thing I noticed is the serious tone. Go back to the video of the pasqualoni video and they look like they are hanging out in the weight room just relaxed. In the valid video its completion and pain. Definitely a different aura

 

[BleedBlue97]

I knew from the moment UConn hired Balis, our Strength and Conditioning aspect of the team would improve drastically. With stints at Miss. State, Florida, and Virginia, I believed that the P5 experience would help The Huskies in the long run for getting stronger. From videos I watched of Balis and his teams in the weight room, I could see the intensity that he brought for every player to individually get better to form a great team. I'm hopeful that within the next year or two, we could have a team of Geremy Davis/ Byron Jones-type frames for build. Once we get that part of the game down, I think our schemes and implementations of plays can become a lot more effective. I'm extremely optimistic from what I've heard this off-season that results could appear as soon as the next 20+ hours.

 

[pepband99]

Balis is a dead ringer for Jason Beghe , Hank Voight from Chicago PD. Awesome.

 

[Excalibur]

Balis is a dead ringer for Jason Beghe , Hank Voight from Chicago PD. Awesome.

I know him as Bates from Californication. Better show.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Any insight on how BD got Balis to leave the SEC for UConn? Do they have past history together? Was he unhappy at Miss St? (which would be understandable...I live in the south but I wouldn't live in Miss.)

 

[FfldCntyFan]

They worked together at Virginia. Not sure why he saw UConn as a better opportunity than Miss St but it doesn't really matter to me.

 

[sportsart]

They worked together at Virginia. Not sure why he saw UConn as a better opportunity than Miss St but it doesn't really matter to me.

Two words: Dairy Bar

 

[NYUConn]

This is Balis's second year? Did he arrive with HCBD last season?

 

[huskymedic]

This is Balis's second year? Did he arrive with HCBD last season?

Yes...

 

[NavinRJohnson]

Matt oversees all of the sports strength and conditioning. This might be a step up from Mississippi State. Not sure if it was football focused down there or all of the athletic department.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Matt oversees all of the sports strength and conditioning. This might be a step up from Mississippi State. Not sure if it was football focused down there or all of the athletic department.

Just football at Miss. State, I believe. He probably gets paid much more in his role here.

 

[epark88]

And having the top-rated Kinesiology department as well? Couldn't hurt, might help...

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Two words: Dairy Bar

Perhaps, but something tells me that the Dairy Bar would be counterproductive to what he is trying to do here. sure, it'll help the kids add weight but the damage it will do to conditioning would be a catastrophic.